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Self-Care Reflection through Subtraction (July Self-Care Challenge Day 1)

SoulfullyAButterfly July 25th, 2022

Welcome to our July Self-Care Challenge. Throughout this week, we will be going through various prompts to gain insight and action to upgrade our self-care practices.

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Most of us feel like we need to upgrade our self-care practices, but we may also be self-caring at some levels. Reflecting on our needs and self-care practices is one of the objectives of this week’s challenge. Subtraction may help us gain some insights:

Imagine that you cannot self-care for one whole month. How would this change your life? Be honest and share your answers. This is our starting point - realizing that we do need self-care, already do some form of self-care, but can always use the improvement.


Want to earn a Kindness Badge for practicing self-kindness which is an important aspect of this self-care challenge? Remember to fill out this form daily.

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EmotionsListener July 25th, 2022

@SoulfullyAButterfly

Imagine that you cannot self-care for one whole month. How would this change your life? Be honest and share your answers. This is our starting point - realizing that we do need self-care, already do some form of self-care, but can always use the improvement.


Well to start off, without the most basic level of self-care, I would end up with a very unhealthy and dirty body, since eating, drinking and basic hygiene activities are part of self-care. But beyond those physical self-care activities, I would likely also have a significant decline in my mental and emotional health. I wouldn't be able to be in touch with my partner, friends or family, likely with any people at all. I wouldn't be able to spend time reading or doing any of my hobbies. Realistically I'd end up in a semi-vegetative state because even things like working, doing housework, or doing things for others, all include aspects that serve as self-care. So while yes my self-care could definitely use some improvement, it's easy to see that without what I am doing now I would have a very long way to fall health and self-care wise.

Torean July 25th, 2022

@SoulfullyAButterfly

I've been there to some extent. It would feel like a month of depression or a month following a massive change in you life. Basically, a time where all comforts feel like they are in flux and self care and betterment routines are having to fall behind new focus or current circumstance. It's something inconvenient, but you can probably ultimately come back from it better than you might think.

Luna268 July 26th, 2022

Like others have shared. Physically, I would look and feel terrible with a whole month of no self care.

But emotionally I think the value I put on myself, my life, my contributions to the world and those around me would be non existent. This, I think, is the part that thinking about it makes want to cry. Having been in a similar spot earlier in my life, i now dread that feeling. It feels like I am in a hole where nothing matters to me, so why even bother. And the more ugly things got, the way I figured out for them not to hurt was to not care. It was a never ending cycle.

Today, I would like to learn more about self worth, so that I can learn how to continue to heal and learn not to make the same mistakes again.

AffyAvo July 26th, 2022

With serious chronic illnesses, care is essential and vital. Without self-care my survival would depend on care by others and even with that my health would likely significantly decline as without participation needs can only be met so far.

WarmLightXO July 26th, 2022

I imagine I would be miserable. Lonely, out of touch with myself, a pyschical disaster, burnt out and exhausted.

LovingPeacefulHeart July 26th, 2022

A month without ANY self care? I don’t think you would sooner than a month without self care. So the way it would affect my life would be that it would end and I would literally be dead.

mytwistedsoul July 26th, 2022

No self care for a month? Anxiety would be much worse because there would be nothing to help calm it. SH would be worse because there would be nothing to distract and help remember to be gentle. Isolation would deepen because there wouldn't be any socializing. The house would be a wreck and the yard would be a jungle. The garden and flowers would d*e

FaithfulPrune9638 July 26th, 2022

@SoulfullyAButterfly

Imagine that you cannot self-care for one whole month. How would this change your life?


Okay, I am going to go as far as no bathing, brushing teeth or hair, or changing clothes for an entire month. If I do not bathe for an entire month, I will be all gross and dirty. I will smell like death, and that is not good. Let's not brush my teeth. I will get plaque that will make my mouth so nasty that bacteria will grow in there and it could make my teeth turn green, then they will eventually need to be pulled out due to decay. On to the hair, shall we? I would have rat's nests so bad that my head would have to be shaved because I haven't combed it in a month, not to mention the creepy crawlers that feed on dirty bodies would become your best friend. Not changing your clothes would make you stink even worse, especially when you don't change your bra and underwear. You will get an odor that you do not want. Once a week is better than none, but at least every other night if not every night. I know these things from a major breakdown 10 years ago and I went from taking care of myself bathing every night and brushing my hair 2× A day and teeth once a day to bathing once a week and rarely combing my hair and teeth occasionally. It's been a long road to recovery and still have a long way to go, and the other night I decided to start bathing every night and comb my hair 2× A day like I used to before my breakdown in '12. Thank you!

Harsvin July 26th, 2022

I would feel exhausted and burnt out. It would also negatively impact my productivity by feeling not energetic to carry out my daily tasks.

Angrywoman11 July 26th, 2022

What exactly do u mean when saying self-care? People most probably have different ideas of it.

1 reply
Sunisshiningandsoareyou July 26th, 2022

Hey @Angrywoman11, I agree, everyone has a different definition for self-care, essentially here, whatever you do for yourself, that brings you comfort, an act of caring for *yourself*. It could be anything from setting boundaries with someone not good for your mental health, to cutting off some food ingredient that causes discomfort, from trying a new hobby to taking a walk in your neighborhood, anything counts as self-care, that makes you feel cared for and supports your mental, emotional, physical, overall well-being. ❤

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